Niles Caulder returns to the pages of Doom Patrol as he enlists his old team to help him invade a universe of bad ideas! But is there a secret Dr. Caudler is hiding? What is truly motivating him? Can he be trusted? All this plus a trip to the mall and Orange Julius!
Doom Patrol #7 “Into The Scantoverse or Emotional Robots and Psychic Werewolves: A Doom Patrol Adventure” Written by: Gerard Way Art by: Michael Allred & Nick Derrington (pages 23-24) Colors by: Laura Allred Lettered by: Todd Klein
Published by: Young Animal an imprint of DC Comics
After a brief hiatus, Doom Patrol returns and it’s a fantastic issue! Not only do we get some gorgeous art from Mike and Laura Allred, we also get to finally see Niles Caulder go back on the field with the team in a very classically inspired Doom Patrol adventure. The ideas really explode out of this issue, and it’s energy and storytelling are exactly the kind of thing you want out of this title. It’s also hysterical! Read on for 11 reasons Doom Patrol #7 is my favorite comic of the week!
First thing; the gorgeous art, panel structure and page layout by Mike Allred.
The brilliant colors by Laura Allred
“We’re pretty aimless right now. I mean look at us, we’re at the mall.” –Negative Man
“Find me at the Orange Julius when you’ve prepared to take charge of your destiny!- Niles Caulder
The Gatz’Gah’Gatz aka The Sea of Frozen Faces.
The whole idea behind the Scants and their world. A universe of ‘bad ideas’ is straight out of Morrison era Doom Patrol.
Dan Scram and his Gravity Pirates!
“I’m crying but I have no tears! –Robot Man
Niles Caulder’s description of evolution-“Evolution is really just a series of bad ideas strung together.”
“Psychic Werewolves, the natural predator of evolved man!”
The product known as $#!+ “Makes everything better!”
Seriously, folks, this was a fantastically fun and funny issue! It’s pacing is great, the art POPS off the page, and it’s exactly the kind of storytelling you can only to in the comics medium. I’ve enjoyed all of the Young Animal stuff so far, but this has to be one of the best single issues the imprint has put out. Don’t sleep on it and get it!
After a massively popular introduction inCaptain America: Civil War, Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther will have a larger presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward. Not only will the character appear in his first ever solo movie when Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther lands, but Boseman will also have a large role in the next Avengers movie, Avengers: Infinity War.
In an interview with Moviefone, Boseman briefly discussed his role in Avengers: Infinity War, confirming that he will have a “vital” role in the movie.
It’s a vital role — definitely a vital role! And I think Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo is the main person that I felt like we hit it off and had fun, and I hadn’t worked with him before. In fact, when I met him, it felt like I had already met him. That would be the name I’ll say. I can’t say more than that.
While it’s not surprising to hear that Boseman will have a larger role in Avengers: Infinity War, it’s certainly a relief. It has previously been reported that Spider-Man will only have a brief appearance in the film, and it would be unfortunate if Black Panther’s role was also reduced.
Are you excited to see Black Pantherin Avengers: Infinity War? Let us know in the comments section below!
From the paper and ink comic books of the thirties and forties where it all began to the super-slick Marvel/DC blockbuster showdown that seemingly dominates this and every summer at the movies, the super hero franchise and the branded fantasy media explosion it spearheads have come a long way – and there’s plenty to show for it. Shelves of licensed merchandise, running from dolls and action figures to sticker books, lunchboxes and the like, and much of it based on blockbusting TV and movie franchises such as Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and this summers hot tickets, Spiderman and Wonder Woman. But have we reached some kind of commercial tipping point? And if so, who cares? The video games industry, that’s who. It’s waiting in the wings with franchise hits of its own and is poised to take up any slack…
The story so far
Toys licensed from movies and TV have surfed the wave of enthusiasm generated from the Marvel and DC camps over the last decade, and now Disney too, with its reinvigorated Star Wars universe. From 2008 to 2015, licensed toys based on movie and TV brands accounted for 21% of all toys sold, and made up 41% of the growth, according to Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Ng. Last year, mostly off the back of Star Wars and Marvel superhero movies, these revenues grew by 5% to reach $20.4 billion; no mean feat in a global toy market reckoned to be worth upwards of 87.4 billion USD. This is a numbers game, in the most brutal of senses, and numbers like these show just how closely the creative forces of Hollywood have become entangled with the fortunes of the toy industry in general – and, of course, vice versa. There’s a synergy at work here, separate industries flowing together for mutual benefit; this synergy includes the video game market, and has done for quite a while.
Today’s licensed toy product is not represented just by plastic action figures in a box (Hasbro’s Star Wars range), or even by the Disney Princess line of dolls and playsets featuring classic characters from the studio’s offerings. There’s also a vast array of spin-off products destined for the video game market – from the recent Spiderman tie-in by Marvel and Insomniac Games for the PS4, too many of the online slots and mobile-friendly casino games popular on iGaming sites. These often come hitched to a trending brand upon release – for example, an official Game of Thrones slot, another promoting the movie Jurassic World, yet another for Tarzan, are available play online on Betway casino. Similarly, the Apple Store and Android Play are hosts to a number of licensed apps and games based on films, including the recent Jurassic World – The Game, developed by Ludia Inc, which promises more than 150 dinosaurs from the film. There has been a good deal of cross-matching and hybridization between the licensed toy industry, visual media, and videogames, but now the sands seem to be shifting.
Too many toys?
Market saturation could be on the way. As Mr. Ng drily points out in his market note, there are seven Marvel films scheduled for release next year, two Star Wars films coming out, and three back-to-back Transformers movies on the books for 2019. Taken together, that’s a torrent of toys set to hit the shelves in the next couple of years, and each from a fixed franchise with a set fanbase. There’s a lot of spillover, but it’s not set in stone that the fan who is buying the Spiderman game would be so inclined to spend money on a Star Wars toy. All those toys from all those films, jostling for space in an increasingly crowded market. Something has to give, and when it does, the video game industry will seek to fill the void left behind, with toys and spin-offs based on characters of its own.
New Model Army
source: flickr.com
IMAGE SOURCE: Flickr.com
The toy industry is sprawling and broad and old and established, and expensive, and all about distribution. Five Titans dominate the field: Jakks Pacific, Namco Bandai, Hasbro, and Lego, with Mattel taking the top spot. Tricky, you might think, to crack such a market, but it’s not without precedent. In fact, the reverse has been the case for ages, with products that began life as toys, successfully transitioning to the big screen as licensed movies – think 2014’s Lego Movie by Warner Bros, which made $257,716,507 within its first six months of US release. In fact, Lego is the perfect example here, a flagging tangible toy product into which new life was breathed, first by the popularity of the groundbreaking Lego console games, and now onwards to the movies, with a dash of DC magic applied to the mix in the form of licensed Batman characters. This direction of flow works, and works well, but can lucre flow from original video games to the toy market?
The video game industry, worth a global $108.9 billion, has shown itself adept at what is termed market adaption, flowing amoeba-like from one form to another to best suit environmental conditions: From cartridge to tape to CD to ribbons of code, hanging like cobwebs in the Cloud. Along the way, it’s taken inspiration and official license from Hollywood and TV, from retro board games and parlor pursuits and turned it all into product – games, projects, applications. And all this, in much the same manner as the movers and shakers of Hollywood and TV (but especially the former) in turn took their inspiration from what had come before – from a rich print medium of comic books and pulp novels, the tour-de-force page-turners of their era. Stories and ideas, mined and transformed, carried from one stream of media to another, and now it would appear, running the gamut from pixels to plastic and back again.
As you might expect, the first scouts to arrive on this scene are those associated with spectacular achievements in their home markets; collectibles licensed from the Halo games and last summer’s ambulatory Pokémon Go craze, cuddly toys in the form of Rovio’s Angry Birds, miniatures of Geralt from The Witcher 3. Lessons are being learned and chances are being taken as companies glean data on what sells and what doesn’t. When these get applied for the second push, sales will ramp and profits will be taken.
Looking ahead
It’s early days, but the signs are good and the video game-based toy invasion is already underway. As yet, the industry has but a tiny presence here, a scattering of footprints in the sand at the edge of an untested desert. But a diminutive army of toys based on characters from original video games is marching steadily upon the market horizon, a distant column of dust perhaps, or the first ranks of a vast army.
Tom Hardy can currently be seen (partially, anyway) in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk as a courageous air force pilot defending beached troops from air raids. His next project takes him back into war, in what sounds like a much more substantial and challenging role, in My War Gone By, I Miss It So.
Variety broke the news about the adaptation of Anthony Loyd’s firsthand account of the Bosnian War. Judging by this description, the film has about a dozen different, harrowing plates in the air:
“My War Gone By, I Miss It So” is Lloyd’s personal account of the Bosnian War, and alternates between his experiences in Bosnia and personal reflections of his time in the British army, his parents’ divorce, his estrangement from his father, and his heroin addiction.
As much as I love gimmick Tom Hardy, hidden behind masks in The Dark Knight Rises and most of Mad Max and Dunkirk, or behind the wheel through the entirety of Locke, I love Tom Hardy the actor even more. He was the best part of The Revenant, he was terrific in The Drop, and he was captivating in Warrior.
And speaking of Warrior, Gavin O’Connor will direct My War Gone By, I Miss It So. Hardy could be aiming for an Oscar with this one, but whatever… We don’t have release date, co stars, or production news yet, but stay tuned..
The Flash and Reverse-Flash bring their epic confrontation to an end. Barry absorbs aspects of the negative speed-force and literally fights his enemy across time. But even if he defeats the villain, the Scarlet Speedster may find out he has lost the battle and much, much more.
The Flash #27 Running Scared –Conclusion “I Will Possess Your Heart” Written by: Joshua Williamson Art by: Paul Pelletier & Howard Porter Inks by: Andrew Henessey & Howard Porter Colors by: Hi-Fi Lettered by: Steve Wands
Published by: DC Comics
SPOILERS! Joshua Williamson brings this action packed story to a close, ending it on a quiet and sad moment. And although this issue lacked a bit of the narrative drive this arc started with, it was still an important story and one that will seemingly affect the dynamic of the Flash and his extended family for some time to come and also leaves Barry with some new powers and abilities. Read on for 11 reasons The Flash #27 changes lanes and leaves the road open for some great upcoming tales.
Barry and Thawne literally fighting through time. That concept just doesn’t get old in The Flash.
The long, vertical panels and ‘wide screen’ splashes during the above fight scene. It gives it the feel of a huge, blockbuster cinematic sequence. Great job by the art team!
The balance of action and emotional beats. It’s both a physical and an internal battle here.
Barry’s new look after absorbing negative speed-force energy.
“You think murdering your mother was bad? That’s not even in the top ten horrible things I do to you.” –Reverse-Flash. Thawne is pretty chilling.
SPOILER!- Iris West ‘killing’ the Reverse-Flash!
How even in defeat, Thawne still wins this one.
“Is there anything else? Anything else you lied to me about?” –Iris West.
“And as long as I had that, I was never alone” – Reverse-Flash.
The final image of Barry sitting alone.
The potential we are left with; Barry’s new powers. The fracturing of his relationships. This is a dark place for the Fastest Man Alive.
So now we are left with Barry in a much different place than we saw him in before, and that is really what you want out of a good story. Williamson is at the very least writing an entertaining, well-paced Flash run. He is changing the character as he goes along. Good stuff. Let’s see which way Barry runs next!
Once upon a time, James Cameron was one of the more fascinating technical masters in Hollywood. He was an Oscar winner, and an epic filmmaker. Now, well, in between the endless barrage of Avatar sequels, Cameron wants to pepper us with more Terminator.
Cameron spoke to The Playlist about whatever the hell he’s thinking these days, and he threw out this ominous plan:
“I am in discussions with (producer) David Ellison, who is the current rights holder globally for the Terminatorfranchise and the rights in the US market revert to me under US copyright law in a year and a half so he and I are talking about what we can do. Right now we are leaning toward doing a three-film arc and reinventing it.”
Yes, because that’s what the world needs, a reinvention of an intellectual property that has been reconfigured in a million different amalgamations so intensely that rebooting the original would prove a futile exercise. Please, sir, may we have another.
It’s disappointing that James Cameron would make Avatar and the rubble of the Terminator franchise his obsessions heading into the twilight of his career. Remember when this guy directed The Abyss? True Lies was cool. I still like Titanic.
Too bad, it looks like we won’t get any of those James Cameron joints anytime soon. Because even if these Terminator movies (hopefully) fall apart, the dude still wants to make infinity Avatar movies.
Preacher Feature is a weekly analysis of the AMC show Preacher based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. In this column, we will give a breakdown of the events from the previous night’s show, including how they relate to the comics, and speculate as to what’s going on and what might be coming up. This is to say that there will be spoilers, both actual and potential. If you have not yet watched the episode in question or are watching the show without reading the comics and don’t want to have any foreknowledge of what might happen to Jesse and company, then you would do well to stop reading this now.
Last night’s episode was a welcome return to form after a couple lackluster installments. Backstory and exposition are important, I know, but they can’t compete with action and humor.
The episode starts off with…something…being extracted from a man in exchange for a large sum of money. It’s then brought by armored truck to a rich couple and exhanged for a larger sum of money (That’s Capitalism, folks). Taken as a pill, the “something” instantly seems to cure dementia in the woman who takes it.
No word yet if the mystery substance cures diabetes, which could come into play after this breakfast
From here we’re treated to a glimpse at Tulip’s culinary expertise (Reddi-Wip, marshmallows, and hot fudge are the cornerstones of any complete breakfast), just before The Saint of Killers arrives. Now, as we all know, a seven foot tall cowboy decapitating people with a cavalry sword tends to put a damper on the appetite, so the gang hightails it out of Denis’ apartment before said cowboy reaches them.
They decide they need to find out why Genesis doesn’t work on The Saint and whether he has any weakness, so they head to their local library (reading is fundamental, after all). The scene in the library was one of the best of the season, with the audiobook narration and the plethora of Saint of Killers-related books (shoutout to writer Mary Laws and propmaster James Rosenthal) transforming what could have been a boring scene into a delight. The research yields results: they find out that The Saint was the only living man without a soul. Perhaps this is the reason Genesis can’t control him?
Cassidy, never the most considerate vampire, realizes that he neglected to tell Denis of the murderous scalp-hunter likely waiting in his apartment and Jesse calls just in time to keep The Saint from killing Denis, because he’s on his way over.
Dominic Cooper (Jesse) and Graham McTavish (The Saint) give performances worthy of the gravity of the scene as these two foes come face to face for the first time. This time there will be no gunfire. Jesse, transitioning from preacher to sheriff, lays down the law: If you kill me, you’ll never get what you want. The Saint wants to see his family again in Heaven, but he can’t do that without a soul. The Saint agrees to terms: Jesse gets one hour to find the Saint a soul, but as collateral, he holds Tulip, Cassidy, and Denis. Jesse goes to a voodoo shop (and we find out that Jesse’s mysterious family, the L’Angells, also have ties to voodoo) but finds that they’ve been run out of business by…Soul Happy Go Go, the company from the opening scene, whose armored car (the titular Sokosha) is parked outside. After a hilarious but ineffectual attempt to break into the armored car, Jesse decides using Genesis is the way to go.
Meanwhile, Denis is dangerously ill and Cassidy reveals that he is actually Denis’s father (vampires age very well). This sets up another dramatic confrontation with The Saint, this time between him and Tulip (Ruth Negga, in another stellar performance). Tulip finds out how strong The Saint is when she makes the mistake of mentioning his daughter.
Jesse finally gets hold of the armored truck, only to find out that there’s no match for The Saint’s soul onboard (pesky rare soul-types), but that his own soul is a match. Jesse gives up a piece of his soul to The Saint. This allows Genesis to exert its influence over The Saint, so Jesse orders him to disarm.
After seeing the possible disadvantages of sending The Saint (and with him a piece of his own soul) to Hell, Jesse locks The Saint in the armored truck, drives it to Angelville and sinks it into the swamp.
Easter Eggs/Connections to the Comics
This episode contains actual images from the comic books themselves. While Jesse and crew are researching The Saint to try to find his weakness, the research montage features a few pages from the excellent Preacher Special: Saint of Killers miniseries. The miniseries is one of my favorite short comic book stories, I highly recommend it.
The comic books aren’t all, however. Also studied by the trio of scholars: a romance novel, a book of sing along songs, and a special Mad Libs.
When Jesse decides to sink the armored truck into the swamp, we hear the same music/wench sounds from the aquarium scene in Episode 1.
Questions/Theories
How long until The Saint is back after Jesse? We know that armored truck won’t hold him. I think The Grail will be the ones to find him and who knows what mayhem they’ll set him to?
To what does next episode’s title, Pig, refer? There was a file folder marked ‘Pig’ on Herr Starr’s desk in a previous episode, but nothing like it in the comics.
Best Line
“Say your prayers, Preacher” – The Saint of Killers
The World’s Mightiest Mortal is getting his first big-budget movie, but Dwayne Johnson won’t be in it.
Shazam will be shooting early next year, according to reports. The movie is to begin filming in February 2018. However, Johnson is not going to appear as Black Adam.
Geoff Johns, DC’s chief creative officer, confirms that the Fast & Furious actor will sit this one out. The reason is due to the upcoming Black Adam film.
“We haven’t announced any casting yet,” Johns says in an interview. “But Dwayne isn’t going to be in this movie. He’s still doing Black Adam, but he won’t be in Shazam!”
Based on this news, it looks like Johnson’s DCEU debut will be in Black Adam. The plan is to have the former WWE star headline a solo movie, which will set him up as an anti-hero. Johnson is also producing the film with Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Adam will then appear with Shazam in future DCEU movies. Whether or not he’ll take on the Justice League remains to be seen.
Who Shazam will face in the first movie is unknown. Since Adam won’t be in it, there is always the possibility of Doctor Sivana. In DC lore, Sivana is a mad scientist and the arch-rival of Shazam. Ironically, it was Sivana who inadvertently gave him the nickname “the Big Red Cheese.” While he mean it as an insult, people use it as a term of affection for Shazam.
Then there’s always the possibility of Mr. Mind. In the comics, Mr. Mind is an alien worm that can control people’s thoughts. The character is a recurring for Shazam over the years. During Jeff Smith’s Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil, he is the main villain of the 2007 miniseries.
Another option is Captain Nazi, a genetically-modified soldier who was built to be the pinnacle of Nazi Germany. He’s also the one who cripples Captain Marvel Jr. in the comics. Don’t know how this would go over well with film audiences, though. Plus, Marvel Studios has done the World War II angle with some villains. Wonder Woman had German villains, but that was set in World War I.
David F. Sandberg is going to direct Shazam. No word yet on who is starring as the World’s Mightiest Mortal in the film. Nor are there any updates on who will play his alter-ego Billy Batson.
Podcasts have been around for over a decade, but the last few years have seen a boom in popularity. It’s truly amazing what someone can do with a couple of microphones and an idea. Lauren Shippen, an actress and singer, took it upon herself to write and produce a narrative podcast, complete with a cast, foley, and score. This podcast, The Bright Sessions, has garnered much praise from fans and critics alike.
The Bright Sessions is a sci-fi podcast that follows a mysterious therapist and her unique set of patients, each struggling with a supernatural ability. Created and written by Lauren Shippen, the acclaimed podcast has been downloaded over 6 million times.
And now, Universal Cable Productions is currently developing a TV adaptation of The Bright Sessions. Gabrielle G. Stanton (Grey’s Anatomy, The Flash) and Shippen are penning the TV adaptation.
You can listen to The Bright Sessions podcast from the very beginning on iTunes, SoundCloud, and other podcast streaming services. New episodes will begin airing in October.
Monkeys Fighting Robots had the chance to ask Lauren Shippen a few questions about The Bright Sessions, and making her own path to success. You can read the full interview below:
MFR: When did you contract the “acting/writing bug?” What was it that made you realize, ‘this is what I’ll be doing the rest of my life?’
Lauren Shippen: I grew up in a really creative family – I’m the only one who actually works in entertainment, but my parents were always exposing my sister and me to all sorts of art and we were performing musicals in our living room from a very young age. So it was always somewhat on my radar as a thing to do. But I think it was seeing Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway in 2001. I was 10 years old and here was this young woman commanding a stage in a way that was completely mesmerizing. She was singing, tap-dancing, acting – the whole nine yards. I remember sitting in the theatre thinking, “This. I want to do this.” That show really spurred my interest in pursuing musical theatre as a craft, which eventually led me to my love of acting overall.
Writing was always one of those things that I did sort of secretly. Along with theatre, reading was a really big part of my upbringing and after reading The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron, I became obsessed with fantasy. From the moment I could, I started writing little fantasy stories. Coming up with worlds and characters was so fun for me, but it never occurred to me to share any of those things with anyone. I don’t know if it’s that I never had any finished product to show or that I didn’t think I was any good (and, having dug up those old stories, I wasn’t any good), but talking about it or sharing it seemed too scary. I wish I had, regardless of how bad those stories were, because sharing your work is such an important piece of becoming a better writer.
MFR: Who are your major influences?
Lauren Shippen: T.A. Barron is definitely one of the earliest big influences – reading his Merlin series primed me to love Harry Potter when my sister handed it to me and both series sent me down the fantasy rabbit hole. That eventually led to my love of sci-fi, which got me into watching all of Joss Whedon’s shows, Battlestar Galactica, The X-Files, etc. Those shows along with mystery (Twin Peaks, Veronica Mars) that really made me love TV and think about film/television as a potential career path. Whether or not I realized it at the time, I learned a lot from those shows about how to structure a story, what makes compelling character dynamics, and how to write dialogue.
My major overall influence is Stephen Sondheim. I grew up on his musicals and still listen to them obsessively. You can find words of wisdom about literally any topic in his shows and there are very few people that understand and craft language as well as he does. About half my brain is Sondheim. Another thirty percent belongs to Phillip Pullman, who absolutely destroyed me with the His Dark Materials series. Those books had such a major affect on who I am in a way that not even Harry Potter did.
MFR: When and how did you stumble upon using the Podcast medium to tell The Bright Sessions?
Lauren Shippen: By the time I was thinking about telling this story, I’d been listening to podcasts for quite a while. But in 2014, I started listening to Welcome to Night Vale and that was the first time that telling a fiction story in podcast form seemed like a possibility. I knew I wanted to make something and had this character of a girl with anxiety who can travel to other dimensions for a while and when I heard WTNV, podcasting seemed like the perfect answer. It’s inexpensive, I could do everything on my own, and I didn’t have to worry about visuals.
MFR: What was your biggest challenge in the production of The Bright Sessions Podcast? How have you been able to overcome that challenge?
Lauren Shippen: This answer has changed so much in the course of two years. In the beginning the whole thing was a challenge. I wasn’t an expert at any aspect of production – I knew a little about writing, a little about recording, and a little about sound editing. So I spent a lot of time watching YouTube tutorials and just winging it. Then when I made the thing and wanted to get it out there, finding an audience was the challenge. Many, many hours on twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit later, we started to get listeners.
Since then, the challenge has been keeping up with production and handling what feels like a rapid expansion. While I don’t have to spend hours on the internet asking people to listen, we now have people to respond to, more actors to schedule, a merch store to run, a Patreon to maintain, and so on. Somewhere in there, the scripts have to be written and that’s where the challenge stays the same. Finding a balance between staying true to the characters and the story and keeping things fresh and interesting was tough in the beginning and it’s tough now. I always worry about jumping the shark or letting things grow stale or disappointing the amazing listeners we have. My only way of dealing with this kind of doubt is to always bring it back to the characters. When I take some time away from all the nitty-gritty production stuff to just have a conversation with my characters (sometimes a literal, out loud conversation – I almost never work in coffee shops for this reason), things usually become clear.
MFR: Was a TV show something you thought about when initially creating the concept?
Lauren Shippen: It was definitely something I thought about it the way that, when I was 16, I thought about what my Tony Awards acceptance speech would be. It was a total fantasy. There was definitely a thought in the back of my mind that, if the podcast did really, really well, maybe ten years down the line I could try to adapt it for television. There are so many characters and stories within the podcast story that I haven’t been able to tell because of the constraints of our production – when those things came up, I would always think about how fun it would be to play in a bigger sandbox.
MFR: Will there be any changes to The Bright Sessions story when being adapted from a Podcast to TV series?
Lauren Shippen: Yes. Those stories and characters that have been sidelined because of the limits of the podcast will hopefully get some attention in the TV show. Then there are things that I want to change because I won’t be limited by recording with two mics in my bedroom – we can get out of the therapy room from the start, have characters interact more rather than refer to those interactions. This is also an amazing opportunity to get a second chance at aspects of my story that I wasn’t happy with. Hindsight is 20/20 and I think a TV adaptation will benefit from that and from the fact that I have Gabrielle Stanton bringing a new perspective. I think with any kind of adaptation, you can’t do a direct translation, especially when considering the differences in medium. But at the end of the day, the central things – who the characters are and how they relate – will be true to what the audience already knows and loves.
MFR: What advice can you give any creative/artist/entertainer – be it in podcasting or acting or any arts/entertainment medium – trying to break into their respective industry?
Lauren Shippen: No one likes networking, but get to know people that are in your industry. Reach out to people you admire, work on friend’s projects, surround yourself with other passionate, creative people. “Working for exposure” is a really dangerous trend in the industry, especially for actors, but I think when you’re starting out, it can be helpful to learn on the job by volunteering to help out with projects. Take classes and stretch outside your comfort zone. I think all actors should try writing, all writers and directors should take an acting class and everyone can benefit from taking an improv class. Find new ways to challenge yourself.
The best hard advice I’ve ever gotten about this industry came from my uncles who are both in musical theatre. When I started to get serious about acting, they told me, “If there’s anything else that makes you just as happy, do that instead”. It’s a tough thing to hear, but so vital. This is not an easy industry and, in my opinion, not worth pursuing unless you really, really love it. While I ultimately discovered it wasn’t just acting that made me happy, my need to tell stories has kept me plugging away even when things are tough. I can’t imagine doing anything else. If you don’t feel that way, there are so many other fields to feel lukewarm about that you can actually earn a living in.
Related to that (but on a positive note), if you discover that this is your passion, follow it. “Follow your dreams” sounds like dumb, trite advice, but I think it’s important to focus on projects that you’re passionate about. That doesn’t mean you can do it 100% of the time (we all work on things that we enjoy but don’t occupy our minds 24/7) but if there’s something that you absolutely cannot shake – a story, a new way of doing something, a character – do what you can to bring that to fruition. It doesn’t matter if you think you can’t (you can) or if you think the story has been told before; it hasn’t been told by you. if you’re passionate about it, it is worth doing. I’ll cheat here and use words from Stephen Sondheim that everyone who knows me is probably sick of hearing at this point because I quote it constantly. But it’s the best piece of artistic advice that I’ve ever encountered: “Anything you do, let it come from you, then it will be new. Give us more to see”.
Could Warner Bros Interference Be The Downfall of Justice League?
As negative news stories make its round in the trades, it becomes more apparent something is wrong with Warner Bros. and Justice League. The drama is noticeable when director Zack Snyder removed all things related to the movie from his Twitter. Snyder must’ve known it would stir the pot. This Twitter drama came days ahead of a major Warner Bros panel at SDCC and followed months of behind-the-scenes drama.
A few days ago when Variety broke the story about costly reshoots, the film got another slashing from the media. At the center of that news story is Joss Whedon. There are talks that his reshoots would cost about $25 million and take longer than most post-production reshoots. Things also get messy when discussing if Whedon will get a directing credit for the film. Some reports say he will share the credit, while others report he is credited as producer and screenwriter. This type of report isn’t the first issue for Justice League, but it is one of the more problematic situations.
But what is the inciting incident for this growing dilemma? Finding the root of all this drama is hard as there’s plenty of factors leading to this.
“Yeah, Geoff and I have had a great working relationship, even on Batman v Superman, and on Wonder Woman we worked together really closely, and we have a project coming up that we want to do together… I can’t talk about that.”
-Zack Snyder on working with Geoff Johns
Zack Snyder’s relationship with DC and Warner Brothers goes back years. Nothing felt off until the backlash of Man of Steel. Box office returns were fair, but the grim take on Superman angered comic book purist. The relationship between studio and director was damaged more with the handling of Batman v Superman. Like his usual persona, Snyder ignored most of the hate towards his first DCEU film and went forward with his vision. Warner Brothers saw that and stepped in with their theatrical cut.
Everyone had re-grouped, and Justice League was on the way. Tragedy sadly struck Zack Snyder’s personal life, and he attempted to work through it. It would come out soon that he needed to take time off and he would not be working on re-shoots. Joss Whedon, who allegedly was working on re-writes and some reshoots, announced that he’d be stepping in and completing Snyder’s film.
“We were saddened by the events that caused Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder to have to leave and turn the reins over to Joss Whedon. He was already working with us on some of the scenes for the additional photography that we’re gonna be doing shortly, and it was fortunate that Zack convinced him, and he agreed to step in and finish the movie, help Zack finish his vision, and we’re excited about that.”
-Producer Charles Roven
Original reports said Whedon would provide “connective tissue” between the set pieces. That would include some added dialogue for team building and exposition. One of his first moves was firing Junkie XL and replacing him with Danny Elfman. That sounds more like an entire reworking than a “reshoot.”.
Once that news broke, the conversation for Justice League got messier. Anyone who hates Zack Snyder’s work says that Joss Whedon is saving the project, others became upset Whedon is attempting to “steal” Snyder’s movie. Look at the headline pictured below from the website Wired:
This article comes only months after saying the first Justice League trailer is “everything wrong with DC’s movie universe.”. The author ignores the fact that both previews are similar with only extended sequences and that tease ending separating them. Personally, it looks even more like a Zack Snyder film with the apocalyptic red toned set piece and more slow motion. With Joss Whedon coming into play, it gives the DCEU naysayers more reasons to give the movie backhanded compliments. Moving ahead toward the release, the conversation will no longer be clear on who did what and why this will succeed or fail. If it does even $5 million more than Batman v Superman, people will sing the praise of Joss Whedon. If the film flops, bloggers will be quick to blame Zack Snyder still. It’s a no-win situation for not only the original director but Justice League itself.
“They’re brief if anything…Zack picked a great director to help clean up for us.”
-Ray Fisher (Cyborg) on the reshoots
That leads us up to the Variety story about Justice League reshoots becoming a problem for the actors. One of them, in particular, is Henry Cavill. Cavill recently grew a mustache for Mission Impossible 6, since he had finished with his Superman look. The actor is asked to do JL reshoots during the filming of MI6. The problem being Paramount says Cavill can not shave his mustache. As petty as this sounds, it’s expensive and would explain the reshoot costs. Warner Brothers will either have to shoot less of Superman than they planned or remove this stache in post-production. Why would the studio cut it this close to the November release date and focus on such VFX heavy reshoots? These aren’t the first film reshoots ever and is becoming part of every film’s schedule, but this is just strange.
As stated earlier, it is hard to nail down the source of the behind-the-scenes problem. The only clear thing is that this will affect the final product. Best case is the movie is great. That is believable after some impressive trailers and this year’s Wonder Woman. If it is praised by the right influencers and makes enough money, all could be forgotten.
Warner Brothers needs this happen before going forward with more films. This self-sabotage sets the studio and more importantly the movies up for failure. For every Wonder Woman, there is one massive Suicide Squad. After being praised as a comic book studio where directors could shine and very little drama, Warner Brothers is making up for lost times with Justice League.
What do you think? Is Warner Bros. going in the right direction or is this too messy?
Let me know your feelings in the comments below!
“Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.”
Justice League stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, and Ray Fisher as the superhero team. The film hits theaters on November 17th.
